After traveling recently to Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, I was struck by the difference between the English ability of people in each country. Most of the Malysians we encountered spoke English while most Thais did not.
English education seems to have succeeded in Malaysia but not in Thailand. As I think back to studying Spanish and Latin in high school as well as Italian in college, I realize that I don't speak any of these languages. Americans are famous for speaking only English so I suppose language education is failing in America.
However, just across the border in Canada are numerous English and french speakers thanks to good pulic education language programs. Why aren't the successful programs being imitated?